tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post1112714753369054648..comments2024-03-19T07:48:54.021-06:00Comments on Gus Van Horn: The Global War on CarbonGus Van Hornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-62284628280714540792007-10-17T22:45:00.000-06:002007-10-17T22:45:00.000-06:00Ah! Such is the "genius" of "holding the two sets ...Ah! Such is the "<A HREF="http://gusvanhorn.blogspot.com/2007/04/derbyshire-doubly-mistaken.html" REL="nofollow">genius</A>" of "holding the two sets of ideas in their minds <I>at the same time</I>", as John Derbyshire might put it.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-10872372356188127112007-10-17T20:36:00.000-06:002007-10-17T20:36:00.000-06:00I also think it may represent the typical conserva...I also think it may represent the typical conservative dishonesty. They quote the principles of the side they are too timid to challenge openly, even though in private (over scotch and cigars) they will deride that position.<BR/><BR/>They think they can mouth the platitudes and secretly, on the sly, implement more rational policies. This certainly has been what Bush has done, for example agreeing with many environmentalist ideas in public, but then hamstringing and delaying implementation of environmentalist rules.<BR/><BR/>That is worse than a delaying tactic. It invites scorn at the obvious hypocrisy and unjustly makes the Left look like it is principled.<BR/><BR/>I would suggest that it is a tactic learned in Sunday church services. They listen to the preacher denounce the rich and extol the meek and Jesus' sacrifice, but then guiltily go out and earn money. There is a complete dichotomy between ideas and actions.Galileo Blogshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02592692929747610846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-15173699124397869472007-10-17T16:16:00.000-06:002007-10-17T16:16:00.000-06:00It's good that you bring in the appeal of environm...It's good that you bring in the appeal of environmentalism to religious conservatives. (They'll frame it as "stewardship".) <BR/><BR/>It is morbidly interesting to see the religious right and the left converge on this issue from more than one direction.<BR/><BR/>It is bad news indeed at that <A HREF="http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/issues/climate/index.html" REL="nofollow">link</A> that of the Republicans, none offers principled opposition to government programs to "fight" climate change. Out of that lot, you get only Paul and a few others nattering about whether the scientific consensus is there. <BR/><BR/>So if someone makes a case that our planet is warming, does this mean that all (but maybe Paul) favor such programs? Sure sounds like it to me.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-55846432946847686262007-10-17T15:00:00.000-06:002007-10-17T15:00:00.000-06:00Nice article, Gus.Complementing your point are quo...Nice article, Gus.<BR/><BR/>Complementing your point are quotes from the Republican Presidential candidates that appeared in the New York Times today:<BR/><BR/>Source: http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/issues/climate/index.html<BR/><BR/>This is my "favorite" (ugh!) from Mike Huckabee, a favorite of religious conservatives:<BR/><BR/>"[Global warming] is a spiritual issue. [The earth] belongs to God. I have no right to destroy it. I think we work toward alternative energy sources. [We need to make it] like the Manhattan Project or going to the moon. We need to accelerate our energy independence."<BR/><BR/>I love this one too from libertarian Ron Paul, where he bashes the "big oil companies."<BR/><BR/>"[T]hat doesn't mean that you shouldn't do what we can to slow up the emissions and stop subsidizing big oil companies."<BR/><BR/>Just how are we subsidizing the big oil companies? Through windfall profit taxes and huge gasoline taxes??<BR/><BR/>The little I've read of Ron Paul, he sounds like a disgruntled Midwestern Populist who bashes "big government" and "big business" equally, equating the two in terms of the "power" each has over our lives. It takes a libertarian or a leftist to fail to understand the difference between economic and political power.Galileo Blogshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02592692929747610846noreply@blogger.com